In Game 5 of the 1920 World Series, Bill Wambsganss (top left, in white) completes an unassisted triple play. This is the first time a triple play has been used in the postseason. The Brooklyn Dodgers win 3-1 to take a three games to one lead in the series.
Wambsganss made a leaping catch on a foul ball by Leo Durocher while playing right field for the Dodgers. In doing so, he saved four runs and helped his team win the game. The next day, he started another great comeback when he caught a foul pop-up from Carl Hubbell while playing center field. With two out and nobody on base, Wambsganss threw home and Ray Jablonski was able to get the batter out at first base. Finally, in the ninth inning with the score still 1-0, Wambsganss came up again with the bases loaded and no outs. This time he fired a perfect strike down the third-base line that Tony Lazzeri could not reach in time. The catcher gave Wambsganss credit for this amazing display of speed and skill.
In conclusion, Wambsganss completed an unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series and saved four runs by making a great defensive effort. These are the only times such a play has been recorded in World Series history.
The Cleveland Indians are the only team with three players who have accomplished this accomplishment while on their roster: Neal Ball, Bill Wambsganss, and Asdrubal Cabrera. In May 1927, Johnny Neun accomplished the feat less than 24 hours after Jimmy Cooney.
On August 23, 2009, Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Phillies defeat the Mets 9-7. Elmer Smith hit the first grand slam in World Series history on October 10, 1920.
Triple play without assistance Eric Bruntlett is the most recent player to execute an unassisted triple play, executing the feat on August 23, 2009. Only Neun and Bruntlett completed unassisted triple plays to put the game away.
Paul Hines was recognized with a triple play that was correct under the "rules in play" on May 8, 1878. However, it was an unassisted double play with a throw to second base for the third out under contemporary standards.
The Cleveland Indians are the only team with three players who have accomplished this accomplishment while on their roster: Neal Ball, Bill Wambsganss, and Asdrubal Cabrera. In May 1927, Johnny Neun accomplished the feat less than 24 hours after Jimmy Cooney.
Three triples were more common in earlier days, and a few players even hit four triples in a game prior to 1900. Since 1900, five players have hit three triples in a game, all of which occurred in extra innings. In 1921, Joe Judge of the Senators played a 19-inning game. He reached base safely in all 19 innings and had three triples - one each in the 1st, 2nd, and 19th innings.
The last player to hit three triples in a game was Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees on May 30, 2009. The previous record was held by Willie Mays with the San Francisco Giants on June 12, 1956.
It is worth mentioning that four times before 1920, six players had hit triple digits in hits during a single season. The last time this happened was in 2007 when Barry Bonds broke this mark.
Bonds's record has been challenged since he died in October 2007 after testing positive for steroid use. An investigation by the Department of Justice concluded that there was no evidence that baseball's ruling elite conspired to keep him off the banned lists. However, it did find "significant problems" with how baseball handled its drug tests at the time, including "serious deficiencies" in its own internal operations. As a result, several prominent players have been suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs including Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and Sammy Sosa.
New York's trio of triple plays in 2021 ties an MLB record, as the team is the first to accomplish it since the White Sox in 2016. A triple play finished a game on Aug. 23, 2009, when the Phillies turned one against the Mets, and it has only happened 27 times in MLB history. The last time it occurred at Citi Field was Sept. 6, 2013: Jordan Danks of the Chicago Cubs caught Carlos Beltrán's fly ball, while Brian Giles of the Houston Astros made two perfect throws from right field and first base to get Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets out.
The previous record was six triples played by three different teams in 2001. In that season, Mark McGuwire of the Oakland Athletics hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning on three consecutive pitches from Greg Maddux, Tom Henke and Mike Stanton to help the Athletics defeat the Dodgers 9-8. The last time this had happened was 1999 when Paul Wilson of the San Diego Padres struck out Ty Wigginton, caught David Bell's pop-up and threw out Eric Davis trying to score from second base to end the game as well.
In 2020, Mookie Betts of the Red Sox became the latest player to turn three straight batters into outs when he caught Aaron Judge's fly ball, waited for Yoenis Cespedes' slow roller toward first base, then threw home to retire the Mets. This tied the MLB record.
Three triple plays have been converted by one team in a season. Here's the rundown: The White Sox in 2016, the Red Sox in 1979, the A's in 1979, the Cubs in 1965, the Phillies in 1964, the Red Sox in 1924, and the Tigers in 1911.
A single fielder completing all three outs is the rarest sort of triple play and one of the rarest happenings in baseball. Only 15 unassisted triple plays have occurred in MLB history, making this achievement rarer than a perfect game.
Three triple plays have been converted by one team in a season. Here's the rundown: Yankees in 2021, White Sox in 2016, Red Sox in 1979, A's in 1979 Cubs (1965), Phillies (1964), Red Sox (1924), Tigers (1911). It was also done four times in the nineteenth century (1890 Rochester/AA, 1886 Brooklyn/AA, 1885 NY Giants/NL, and 1882 Cincinnati/AA).
In 2020, the Yankees will attempt to break this record. They are currently leading the league with eight total triple plays including three in the last two weeks from April 14th to May 5th. The Yankees scored nine runs while hitting five homers and stealing two bases during these three games!
The record for most triple plays in a season is ten, which was set in 1921 by the Yankees. They also led the league that year with six home runs per game.
Here are the other teams that have hit more than once: 1906 Chicago Cubs (seven times) - they led the league in hits per game with 4.3-Hernandez' batting average of.300 was second-Highest on team
1921 New York Yankees (ten times) - they led the league in homers with 6.8-High Batsmen too
1936 Detroit Tigers (nine times)
1946 Philadelphia Athletics (eight times)- Lowest batting average on team at.261-Best fielding percentage on tourney at.974
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